The present invention relates to a testing system which tests a device under test by interconnecting a test controller and one or more test units, and its controlling method. In this specification, a device under test (DUT) means a device, system, equipment, or component of equipment to be tested by the testing system according to the present invention. The test includes various actions to be conducted for known test purposes such as manufacturing evaluation, quality control, correction, calibration, alignment, adjustment, performance evaluation, diagnostics, and product incoming inspection.
In addition, a xe2x80x9ctesting apparatusxe2x80x9d used herein includes one or more electronic equipment such as a signal generator, modulator, demodulator, input/output device, amplifier, mixer, coder, decoder, oscilloscope, strain gauge, wattmeter, multimeter, attenuator, detector, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, semiconductor test device, synthesizer, thermostat oven, or measuring device, or a passive or active device or instrument necessary for performing evaluation, test, calibration, repair, adjustment or the like for evaluating an electronic device.
A xe2x80x9ctest taskxe2x80x9d used herein includes a test item, a test condition, tradeoff of a test whether the test is conducted at a high speed or at a high accuracy, a test element, and a test. Here, the test item indicates an item for testing a DUT such as high harmonics measurement. A test condition described by taking the above-mentioned high harmonics measurement as an example consists of parameters of the test item such as a fundamental harmonic frequency and the order of high harmonics to be measured, and test parameters of test elements utilized in the test. In addition, a test result corresponding to the test item is data obtained by performing an operation corresponding to the test item on test data obtained from the test element. For example, when described by taking the above-mentioned high harmonics measurement as an example, a power ratio between the fundamental harmonic and the high harmonics is the test result corresponding to the test item.
Moreover, a xe2x80x9cprogram elementxe2x80x9d used herein includes the test tasks mentioned above, and conditions for controlling the execution order of test tasks such as begin, end, pause, wait, wait for specifying a start time, a loop for combining them, and a condition loop.
In addition, a xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d used herein includes a RAM, ROM and EPROM, a permanent record storage device such as a floppy disk, hard disk and CD-ROM, and any other storage means known in the art.
It is necessary to use a plurality of testing device such as a spectrum analyzer or network analyzer to test a personal handy phone system (PHS) or cellular system. In such testing environment, a user of the testing system is not skilled in all of testing devices.
A conventional testing system employs an approach for visualizing a test program to provide environment which allows a person unskilled in the testing device to use the test program. Visualization means a scheme which represents a program as a collection of pictographs called icons each of which is a program part performing acquisition of or operation on data, or display of a graph, and specifies an order of program execution by connecting displayed icons with use of a pointing device with a push button on a screen of a computer as the testing apparatus.
A user of the testing system selects these icons stored in a menu or a toolbox by pointing (pressing the push button of the pointing device, and releasing the push button without moving the pointing device) a desired one with the pointing device with a push button. Then, pointing is performed again on a window screen for programming to place the selected icon on the screen. Several predetermined connection points are set to each icon, and connection is attained by pointing a connection point of icon corresponding to a connection start and a connection point of icon corresponding to a connection end with the pointing device with the push button.
As described above, a programming method of a conventional testing system employs an approach to connect program parts which performs data acquisition, arithmetic operation or graph representation by pointing points predetermined for respective icons and connecting them. Such connection approach has a problem that the user cannot effectively use the system unless he/she thoroughly understands a function of each icon, and a function of each connection point. Therefore, the user of the testing system concentrates much effort on a programming method of xe2x80x9chow to combine programming parts provided by the testing system,xe2x80x9d rather than considering a method for evaluating a DUT.
In particular, when it is intended to conduct a proper test in environment where a DUT cannot be tested unless a plurality of testing devices are used, a testing system is required which allows the user to concentrate his/her attention on detailed evaluation of the DUT even if he/she does not fully understand the testing system.
If there is a testing system which the user can start operation by selecting an object or goal of the test, he/she can concentrate his/her attention of how the DUT is evaluated. Thus, it is desired to have a testing system which can be operated by selecting a purpose or goal of a test.
In utilizing a testing device or testing system, it is necessary to alternatively select whether the test is conducted at a high speed or at a high accuracy. There is a tradeoff between higher testing speed and higher testing accuracy. That is, if the test is conducted at a high speed, test accuracy should be sacrificed. contrary, if the test is conducted at a high accuracy, it takes a longer period of time.
However, such tradeoff between high speed testing and high accuracy testing has not been clear in the conventional testing system. Therefore, the user cannot attain detailed setting corresponding to the tradeoff on xe2x80x9chow to use the testing devicexe2x80x9d unless he/she conducts the test with several trials and errors. In addition, there is problem that even such trial and error testing cannot be conducted unless the user fully understands the hardware configuration of the testing device and corresponding test parameters.
Thus, it is also desired to have a testing system which allows it to easily specify the tradeoff of high speed/high accuracy testing even if the user does not fully understand the detailed internal configuration of the testing system or device and the test parameters.
It is requested for the testing system to represent test data of a DUT in a graph, which allows it to obtain, for example, a power value of unexpected spurious fast and at a high accuracy. However, for example, if it is intended to obtain a power value of spurious with the conventional testing system, it is necessary to perform programming and operation again such as (1) terminating the test, (2) building a program for adding test data, and (3) conducting the test again to find the power value. In this case, if the spurious from which the power is determined is a part of test data, it is necessary to locate array data in the corresponding test data from the positional coordinates of spurious on the graph representation, and to add a program which adds the located array data. As such, the conventional testing system requires much effort only even in finding the power value of spurious on the graph representation.
Thus, it is convenient if there is a testing system in which, when certain coordinates are specified on a graph representation as a test result, a service is started in accordance with the specified region.
When a frequency of unexpected spurious as described above is analyzed in detail, retesting becomes necessary using a frequency range including the spurious as a new test parameter. Particularly, in the case of spurious or the like, there arises a problem on the level or frequency of spurious for a level of signal which is the primary object of the test. Thus, environment is required in which the signal level which is the primary object of the test and spurious can be simultaneously displayed and compared.
Even the conventional testing system may implement environment in which a test parameter can be set again by displaying an instrument panel, and creating a program for controlling hardware for the central frequency and span. However, to analyze a plurality of unexpected spurious, the user of the testing system needs to modify the program and to adjust test parameters such as the central frequency and span on the instrument panel being displayed so that an instrument panel for controlling new hardware can be newly displayed.
If there is a mechanism in which, when spurious is found on the graph representation, a new test parameter can be generated by specifying the range of found spurious on the graph representation, the user of the testing system need not modify the test program every time spurious is found. In addition, if the automatically generated test parameter is automatically set on an instrument for analyzing the spurious, the user of the testing system need not read the frequency of spurious or the like from the graph representation, and set the test parameter on the newly created instrument panel. These functions can significantly reduce burden on the user of the testing system. Consequently, the user of the testing system can concentrate on the analysis of spurious without being bothered by modification of the program. However, the conventional testing system does not provide such function.
Thus, it is desired to have a testing system which can generate a new test parameter of a test element from a specified range on a graph representation of the result obtained from the test element without reprogramming a program, and start a new test with the generated test parameter.
To perform analysis of spurious as described above, it is required to provide testing equipment such as a spectrum analyzer, a frequency counter, or a power meter. If evaluation can be attained with appropriate testing equipment when these testing equipment are connected to the testing system, the analysis can be efficiently performed at a required test accuracy. When spurious is detected during a test with a spectrum analyzer, if another test can be conducted using a frequency. counter from a range on graph representation for spurious to be analyzed, the frequency of spurious can be tested at a high accuracy.
When spurious is found on the graph representation, if a test parameter for analyzing the spurious is automatically generated from a specified range on the graph representation, and automatically set in a test element for analyzing the spurious, the user of the testing system need not read the frequency of spurious or the like from the graph representation on which the spurious is found, and manually set the test parameter on the newly created instrument panel. Consequently, the user of the testing system can concentrate his/her attention on the analysis of spurious without being bothered by modification of the program. However, the conventional testing system does not provide such function.
Thus, it is desired to have a testing system which can generate a new test parameter of another test element without reprogramming a program, and start a new test corresponding to another test element with the generated test parameter.
The present invention is devised in view of the above. Its first object is to provide a testing system which can start operation by selecting an object or goal of a test. In addition, a second object of the present invention is to provide a testing system which can specify whether a test is conducted at a high speed or at a high accuracy. A third object of the present invention is to provide a testing system which can start a service adapted to a specified range without reprogramming a program when certain coordinates are specified on a graph representation as a test result. A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a testing system which can generate a new test parameter of a test element from a specified range on a graph representation of the result obtained from the test element without reprogramming a program, and start a new test with the generated test parameter. A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a testing system which can generate a new test parameter of another test element from a specified range on a graph representation of the result obtained from the test element without reprogramming a program, and start a new test with the generated test parameter, as well as a control method therefor.
In one preferred embodiment, the testing system of the present invention combines test task means, test parameter storage means, test data storage means, virtual instrument means, representation sheet means, and test class means, whereby operation can be started by back tracking from a test purpose/goal, and can set tradeoff whether the test is conducted at a high speed or at a high accuracy only by specifying a test purpose/goal.
In addition, a function which can start a service adapted to a specified range when certain coordinates are specified on a graph representation as a test result can be attained by adding slot information means and virtual instrument service means to the above combination. Alternatively, when slot means and interactor means are added to the above combination, there are attained functions of a) generating a new test parameter for a test element from a specified range on a graph representation which is a result obtained from the test element without reprogramming a program, and starting a new test with the generated test parameter; and b) generating a new test parameter for a test element from a specified range on a graph representation which is a result obtained from another test element, and starting a new test with the generated test parameter.
In addition, when test plan means is added to the above combination, it becomes possible to combine a program element or a composite program element, thereby being capable of writing and running a program which can set an order for executing test tasks or control the order of execution.